Foldable paper carton



Feb- 28, 1933. R. R. RICHARDSON FOLDABLE PAPER CARTON Filed May '7, 1930 Fatented Feb. 28, 1933 UNITED STATES RALPH .'R. RICHARDSON, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CHICAGO CARTON COMPANY, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS FOLDABLE PAPER CARTON Application led May 7, 1930. Serial Ifo. 450,367.

The invention relates to paper cartons and seeks to provide a foldable carton having separate compartments and which are preferably of uniform size, the carton being so constructed that its compartments can be readily separated into a corresponding number of complete smaller cartons. A further object is to provide la blank for cartons of this type which can be economically cut from 1o stock.

The invention consists in the features of improvement hereinafter set forth, illustrated in the preferred forms in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed l5 out in the appended claims.

In the drawing: Fig. 1 illustrates the cut and scored blank for the improved carton.

Fig. 2 is a. perspective view of the carton. Figs. 3 and 4 are cross sections, Fig. 3 being a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 4, and Fig. 4 being a section on the line 4-1 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 8, illustrating a modification. Fig. 6 is a view of the blank from which the cover sections of the carton shown in Fig. 5 are formed.

The carton blank is cut and scored along longitudinal and transverse lines to provide 3o a blank which is foldable to form a carton having a number of compartments, each of which is provided with bottom, side and end walls individual thereto. In the preferred construction shown, the blank is foldable to form two compartments of equal size, and to that end it is cut and creased to provide two bottom walls a, one foreach compartment, with side walls b and end walls c and c integrally hinged to the side and end edges respectively of each of the bottom walls along longitudinal and transverse fold lines 10 and 11. In

the particular form shown, the fold lines 11 are preferably creased, and the fold lines 10 at the side edges of the bottom walls a are a5 formed in part by creases and in part by slits 12, the slits being preferably disposed at the central portions of the side edges of the bottom walls and extending outwardly to a slight extent at their ends, as shown.

The sections of the blank for forming the two compartments are disposed end to end and the two adjacent end walls c are integrally connected at their upper edges along a creased fold line 13, and, in the form shownv inA Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the cover sections or 58 lids d of substantially the same shape as the bottom walls a, but slightly smaller in size are connected to the upper edges of the other end walls c along transverse creased fold lines 14. v L30 Means are provided for connecting the side and end walls and preferably, for this purpose, the side Walls Z; are provided with folding flaps e hinged to their outer edges along longitudinal fold lines 15, and the end Walls c and c are provided with flaps f hinged to their end edges along fold lines 16 which are in line with or extensions of the fold lines 10. The cover sections l are also provided at their free ends with foldable flaps g connected thereto along transverse fold lines 17, and also with flaps z connected to their side edges along longitudinal fold lines 18 which are inwardly offset to a slight extent relative to the fold lines 10 and 16.

The side walls b and end Walls c and e', which are folded into upright position when the boX is set up, are of uniform height. The flaps f on the end Walls are of slightly reduced height. That is to say, they do not quite extend to the top edges of the end walls and are adapted to be folded inwardly against the inner faces of the side Walls The flaps e on the side walls fold inwardly upon the lines 15 over the Haps f, and are provided at their edges with shorttongues 19 which are adapted to extend through the openings formed by the sli-ts 12 and thus secure the side and end walls in upright position. Tonguelike portions 2() at the bottom edges of the side walls are formed by the slits 12 and when the side walls are turned to upright position, the tongues 20 move with these side walls so that l openings are formed into which thetongues' 19 can be vreadily inserted. In fact, the tongues snap into these openings as the ilaps e are swung inwardly over the end flaps llVhen the carton is thus set up, itlforms two compartments with the end Walls c snugly abutting or in contact, as indicated in dotted 100 lines in Fig. 3. Then the cover sections d can be swung inwardly to close the compartments with the flaps g and k thereof turned down and inserted into the compartments l 'l with the liaps g abutting against the faces of the end walls c, and the ila s h lying against the inner faces of the side aps e. To facilitate the insertion of the cover flaps within the compartments, the covers d are preferably slightly smaller than the bottom walls a. Preferably, to properly support the covers or lids d, the flaps g and h are of substantially the same height as the side and and walls and are adapted to engage the rest on the bottom walls. Then, if desired, one section or compartment of the carton can be swung about the fold line 13 and superposed upon the other section or compartment, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. With the arrangement shown the two compartments can be accurately aligned with their inner adjacent end walls in snug engagement, or superposed with the covers in snug engagement and without weakening the materlal along the hinge or connecting fold line 13 between the two compartments.

In use, the compartments of the carton are filled with a commodity and since the compartments are of equal size, each will contain the same amount. The entire carton and its contents can be sold or if the purchaser desires only a halfportion, the carton can be readily se arated along the weakened fold line 13 to orm two complete cartons without unfolding the carton and also without opening it or exposing its contents. The blank is'substantially rectangular in form so that it can be economically cut from stock.

The carton shown in Fig. 5 is folded from a blank which is similar in all respects to that shown in Fig. 1, except that such blank is not provided with inte ral cover or lid sections d. Instead, in t is modification, the compartment covers d are formed of a sepa'- rate blank which is shown in Fig. 6, these cover sections being connected together along a weakened fold line 21 which is preferably formed in part by creases and in part by slits. Like the cover sections d, the covers d are Aprovided at their side and end edges with foldable aps g and h, and they are of such size that when applied the flaps g and uwill t within and engage the side and end walls of the com artments, and when this carton is separate to effect the deliver of one-half portion, it is separated not o y along the weakened fold line 13, but also along the fold line 21 between the lid sections.

Chan s may be made in the details set forth without departure from the sco of the invention as defined in the appende claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A foldable carton formed of a single, substantially rectangular, paper-board blank, and comprising two compartments each havwalls hinged to the'bottom wall with the inner adjacent end walls connected at their upper edges along a creased fold line and with slots formed in the blank adjacent the edges of the bottom and side walls, the said side walls having foldable flaps on their outer edges provided with tongues for engaging said slots and said end walls having foldable flaps on their end edges of slightly less height than said end and side walls and arranged to extend between the side walls and the aps thereof, and covers for the compartments having separate foldable flanges at their end and side ed es of substantially the same height as sai side and end walls and adapted to extend within the .compartments and rest upon the bottom walls, substantially as described.

2. A foldable carton in accordance with claim 1, in which said covers are hinged to the upper edges of the outer end walls of the compartments, substantially as described.

RALPH R. RICHARDSON.

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